Riggers roll in opener

The Red Deer Riggers got a complete-game pitching performance from Denver Wik in a 7-3 win over the Calgary Redbirds in the opening game of the Red Deer Stags baseball tournament at Great Chief Park Friday.

The Red Deer Riggers got a complete-game pitching performance from Denver Wik in a 7-3 win over the Calgary Redbirds in the opening game of the Red Deer Stags baseball tournament at Great Chief Park Friday.

Wik worked all seven innings in the game that started one hour late when the Redbirds encountered traffic problems en route to Red Deer, allowing 11 hits and three earned runs while fanning four batters without issuing a single walk.

The Riggers scored twice in the first inning, added three runs in the second and single tallies in each of the third and sixth frames. Offensively, Matt Fay was two-for-four at the plate with an RBI, while Dwayne Lalor was two-for-three with a walk and an RBI, Jason Chatwood was two-for-four with an RBI and a stolen base, and Aaron Graves cracked a run-scoring triple.

Mike Schleckery was four-for-four with an RBI for the Redbirds, who plated a run in each of the fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Kyle Mayer was two-for-four for the visitors, with Blake Carruthers going two-for-four with a stolen base and an RBI.

Ryan Saunders worked all six innings on the Redbirds mound, giving up four earned runs on 11 hits while recording four strikeouts and walking two batters. His teammates also committed four errors.

Results from the second game, between the host Stags and the Calgary Longhorns, were unavailable due to the late start.

The Fort Saskatchewan A’s will take on the Redbirds at 10 a.m. today, while the St. Albert Tigers will face the Longhorns at 1 p.m., the Riggers and A’s will hook up three hours later and the Stags will meet the Tigers at 7 p.m.

The third-place teams in each of the two pools will do battle at 9 a.m. Sunday, followed by the second-place teams playing for $150 apiece at 12 noon, and the championship game at 3 p.m.

The tournament champion will snare a cheque for $1,000, with $700 going to the runner-up.